Glass tube bending apparatus



April 20, 1948. B. NOEL 2,439,902

GLASS TUBE BENDING APPARATUS Filed March 50, 1946 INVENTOR EDWARD B. NOEL HIS ATTORNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet E. B. NOEL GISASS TUBE BENDING APPARATUS April 20, 194.

Filed March 30, 1946 4 sheets she et 2 DIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR:

N OE

DQNARD B. NOEL HIS ATTQRNEY April 20, 1948.

E. B. NOEL GLASS TUBE BENDING APPARATUS FIG. 4 50 49 5/ 2 FIG 7 a; 58 5 a 64 9 T 49 52 9 1 Ex 29 a5 55 7 66 59 a F I 1 W Q 78 aa -79 a7 a.; 9/ 85 84 3a 32 l l I76 azi 74 752 i 3 /Z FIG. 5 6

58 5 67T6/ 64 2/ /7' I649 49 l5 l9 L M A n j HMH" -L u M & J

W" l A A 63 20 23 9 6% INVENTOR:

EDWARD :B. NOEL BY HIS ATTORNEY April 20, 1948. v E. B. NOEL 2,439,902'

GLASS TUBE BENDING APPARATUS Filed March so, 1946 4 Shee ts-Sheet 4 FIG. 9;

FIG. IO

INVENTORN: EDWARD B. NOEL,

' HIS ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 20, 1948 GLASS TUBE BENDING APPARATUS Edward B; Noel, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application March 30, 1946, Serial No. 658,398

12 Claims. (01.49-7) My. invention relates to apparatus for bending I glass tubing and more particularly to apparatus for forming an angular bend in a glass tube. The apparatus is particularly useful in the formation of U-shaped glass tubes such as are used to form the envelopes of certain types of electric discharge devices, such as germicidal lamps, for instance.

The bending of glass tubes into U-shape, when performed by hand, ordinarily requires the services of a highly skilled glass worker, This is particularly true where it is desired to obtain U-tubes of uniform final shape. Such hand bending of glass tubes, however, besides being slow and difficult, is also a costly operation. Moreover, where the glass U-tube is to be used as the envelope for an ultraviolet emitting discharge device such agermicidal lamp, it is highly desirable that the wall thickness of the glass tube be as thin as possible in order to minimize absorption of the ultraviolet radiations by the glass. Since, in bending glass tubing, the glass at the outer or convex side of the bend tends to stretch and thin out, the formation of satisfactory glass U-tubes, and particularly U-tubes having a sharp bend, from such thin walled tubing therefore requires the exercise of special bending procedure which will insure sufiicient glass wall thickness at the outer side of the U-bend to withstand all ordinary impacts to which such portion of the tube ma be subjected during the normal use of the device. Furthermore, in bending glass tubes into U-tubes of the type having a very sharp bend, i. e., with their legs extending closel alongside one another, the glass at the inner side of the bend is apt to buckle or corrugate during the bending "operation because of the excessive compression to which it is subjected during such operation.

' One object of my invention is to provide apparatus for forming an angular bend in glass tubes and the like by means of which such tubes may, be. quickly and accurately bent into uniform shape without collapsing of the tube at the point of bend.

Another object of my invention is to provide apparatus of the above type for bending glass tubes into uniform U-shape, and particularly into U- tubes having a very sharp bend, without buckling the glass at the inner side of the bend.

Still another object of my invention is to provide apparatus for bending thin walled glass tubing into U -shape to thereby form thin walled glass U-tubes having suilicient strength at the point of bend to withstand all ordinary impacts.

A further object of, my invention is to provide apparatus of the above type which is simple and 2 inexpensive and which will not require skilled labor to operate. I

Further objects and advantages of my invention willappear from the following description of a species thereof and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of apparatus comprising; my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. l and showing in plan the mechanism for reciprocating the glass tube holders towards and away from one another as well as the pinch clamp for opening and closing the gas and oxygen lines leading to the gas fire burner; Fig. 4 is an end elevation partly in section of the apparatus; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section on line 5--5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is an elevation of the operating mechanism for the pin around which the glass tube is bent; Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary sections on lines 1-4 and 8-8, respectively, of Fig. 1; and Figs. 9 and 10 are diagramm'atic plan and front elevation views, respectively, of a motor driven arrangement for rotating the holders for the glass tube.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus there shown'comprises a pair of swivel arms I, I pivotally mounted on a support or bracket 2 fastened to and upstanding from a rectangularly shaped bed plate or base 3 mounted on the table portion 410i abench or stand. The base 3 and bracket 2 constitute the frameof the machine. The swivel arms .I are mounted to pivot about a common horizontal axis, the arms for that purpose being pivoted at one end on a headed stud 5 which is threaded into the bracket 2 and is provided with an axial bore 6 extending therethrough. As shown in Fig. 1, the swivel arms I are normally supported in positions extending horizontally away from each other by the engagement of the arms with the upper. ends of stop screws 1 carriedby a plate 8 fastened to the bracket 2. Adjacent their outer or free ends, the arms I carry forward- 1y extending brackets 9 provided with bearings III for hollow shafts II extending parallel to the arms. The shafts I I protrude both inwardly and outwardly from their respective bearings l0 and i axial alignment with one another when the swivel arms I are in their normal horizontal starting position in resting engagement with the stop screws 1. The shafts II are offset below the pivot center P (Fig. 1) of .the swivel arms a distance at least equal to the outside radius of the glass tube I2 to be bent, the amount of offset determining the radius of the bend which is ultimately formed in the tube-. In the particular case illustrated where the glass tube I 2 is to be bent into U-shape with parallel leg portions, the coincident axes of the holder shafts II are offset with respect to the pivot point P of the swivel arms I a distance equal to one-half the distance between the center lines of the two parallel legs of the U-tube to be formed.

At their inner ends, the shafts II carry a pair of holders I3 for holdin the glass tube 12 which is to be bent. The holders I3 are horizontally aligned with one another when the arms I are in their normal horizontal starting position. As shown more particularly in Fig. 2, the holders I3 each comprise an L-shaped support bracket I4 one arm I5 of which is fixedly secured to its re spective support shaft II to thereby cause the holder I3 to rotate with the said shaft. The other arm I6 of the bracket I4 extends inwardly and parallel to its respective support shaft II and is formed at its inner or free end with a forwardly projecting block portion I! the front face of which is provided with :a V-groove I8 which extends longitudinally of the arm l6 and is adapted to receive the glass tube l2 therein. Spring clamps or hooks I9 mounted on the bracket arms I 6 hold the glass tube I2 in place in the V-grooves I8. As shown more particularly in Fig. 5, each of the spring clamps I9 may comprise a, length of wire extending transversely through the bracket arm IS with the portion projecting forwardly of said bracket arm formed into a hook 2I to engage and clamp around the front side of the glass tube I2. At the end of the hook 2i, the wire 29 may be suitably bent to provide a finger grip portion, as indicated at 22 in Fig. 5. The Wire hook 20 is normally urged rearwardly, to thereby clamp the glass tube l2 against the V-groove I8 in the bracket arm I6, by a compression coil spring 23 which surrounds the projecting rear portion of the wire 20 and is compressed between the rear side of the bracket arm I6 and a retainer 24 fastened on the wire.

The glass tubes I2 to be bent are each provided with exhaust tubes 25 extending longitudinally from each end of the tube. One of the said exhaust tubes is tipped off, as indicated at 25'. The tubes I2 are inserted in the holders I3 and are longitudinally adjusted to the proper position with respect to the pivot axes P of the swivel arms I by means of suitable graduations '(not shown) on the holder bracket arms I4. .Thus, where the tube I2 is to be bent into U-sh'ape with legs of equal length, the tube I2 is centered longitudinally relative to the pivot axes P of the swivel arms I.

After a glass tube [2 has been inserted and properly positioned in the holders I3, the portion of the tube where the bend is to be made (i. e.,' that portion lying in and adjacent to the vertical plane including the pivot axis P of the swivel arm I) is heated to a plastic condition by a sharp gas fire 2B directed thereagainst from a burner 21 located slightly beneath and to the front of the tube I 2. The burner 2'! is connected by a rigid metal tube or pipe 28 to a source of a gaseous combustion admixture. The burner 21 is supported in place from the bracket 2 by means of the tubing 28 which for that purpose extends through and is secured to the said bracket.

During the heating of the glass tube I2 by the gas fire 26, the tube is rotated or oscillated about its longitudinal axis to thereby insure more or less uniform heating thereof around its circumference. The rotation or oscillation of the tube I2 is effected by suitable means, either automatmany or manually operated, for rotating ero'selllating the hollow shafts II and therefore the holders I3 carrying the glass tube I 2 when the swivel arms I are in their lowered or horizontal starting position.

In the particular case illustrated, the said holdor rotating means is of the manually operated type and comprises a pair of driving gears 29 which are fastened on 'a horizontally extending drive shaft 30 and which mesh with spur gears 3| on the holder support shafts I I when the swivel arms I are in their lowered or horizontal starting position. The drive shaft 30, which underlies and extends parallel to the said holder support shafts II when the swivel arms I are in their said lowered position, is journaled in upstanding bearing brackets or end plates 32 fastened to the opposite ends of the base 3. One of the driving gears 29 (preferably the right hand gear as viewed from the front of the machine) is provided with a hand lever 33 which may be grasped by the operator and moved up and down to thereby oscillate the gear and its support shaft and thus oscillate, in turn, the holders I3 and the glass tube I2 carried thereby.

To prevent collapsing of the glass tube I2 at the heated region thereof, air or other gas under a slight pressure may be introduced into the tube through the open or untipped exhaust tube 25 thereof, For this purpose, the said open exhaust tube 25 may be connected to the inner end bf the adjacent hollow holder shaft I I by means or a short rubbertube 34, and one end of a length of rubber tubing 35 connected to the outer end of the said shaft I I by means of a suitable coupling 36.- The other or free end of the tubing 35 may be provided with a mouthpiece (not shown) for the operator to blow into, or it may be connected through a push button valve to a source of com pressed air.

After the glass of the tube I2 at the region of the proposed bend has become sufficiently plastic to be worked, the opposite ends of the tube are moved toward one another to thereby upset or thicken the glass at the said region preparatory to the actual bending of the tube. The said movement of the'tube ends toward one another is effected by manually controlled means 31 operable to reciprocate the holder support shafts II, and therefore the holders l3 themselves, towards and away from one another when the swivel arms I are in their lowered position. The said holder reciprocating means 31 comprises a hand lever 38 normally extending more or less transversely of and pivotally mounted on the base 3 to swing in a horizontal plane. The lever 38, which is pivoted on an upstanding pin 39 extending from the base -3 at a point intermediate its length, is pivotally connected on either side of its pivot point to a pair of horizontally disposed links or connector arms M] which extend in the general direction of the length of the holder support shafts II. At their outer ends the connector links 40 are provided with upstanding arms II the upper ends of which are bifurcated to provide yoke arms 42 (Fig. 8) which receive the shafts H and fit between annular flanges 43 thereon. The arms 4! are provided with apertures 4'4 through which the drive shaft 30 extends. The outer ends of the connector links 46 are also provided with depending guide pins 45 which are vertically alignedwitnthe upstanding arms fll and which ride in'g'rooves' 46 in guide blocks 41 fastened to the upper side of the base 3. The guide grooves 46 extend parallel to the holder support shafts I I so as'to cause the vertical arms M to move in a 5 direction parallel to the holder support shafts H and thus axially move the said shafts and the holders l3 carried thereby when the hand lever 38 is pivoted. Adjustable stop means are preferably provided for limiting the extent of movement of the holders [3 towards one another so as to assure uniform upsetting of each glass tube H to be bent. The said stop means may comprise an upstanding pin 48 mounted on the base 3 and arranged to be engaged by the hand lever 38 when the latter is pivoted in a direction to move the holders l3 towards one another. A series of holes 48 are provided in the base 3 in any one of which the stop pin 48 may be inserted to thereby enable the setting of the pin in any one of a number of different positions, thus providing for a variation in the degree of upsetting of the glass, as desired. To maintain the meshed engagement of the spur gears 3| with the drive gears 29 and thus permit continuous rotation of the tube l2 during the axial movement of the shafts H by the hand lever 38 to upset the glass, the spur gears 3| are made of extended widths as shown in Figs, 1 and 2. I

When the glass at the region of the proposed bend is sufliciently softened and gathered, the holders l3 are locked or clamped against any further movement longitudinally of the tube and also against any further rotation, a forming pin 49 moved into position across the upper side of the tube above the point where the bend is to be made, and the swivel arms I then swing upwardly through the desired angle to thereby bend the tube around the forming pin. In the particular case illustrated, the arms I are swung to a vertical up position, against a stop pin 59 extending from the bracket 2, so as to swing each half length of the tube through an angle of approximately 90 degrees and thus form a 180 degree total bend in the tube. The arms I are held' in their raised position by spring pressed balls 5| which are mounted in the bracket 2 and snap into corresponding shallow depressions (not shown) in the arms I. v

The locking of the holders l3 against movement longitudinally of the glass tube I2 is effected by clamp means 52 which operate to clamp the holder support shafts H, and therefore the holders l3, against such movement. Separate clamp means 52 are provided for each of the shafts ll, each clamp means comprising a hand lever 53 extending transversely of the respective shaft H and pivotally mounted on the shaft bearing l within a cross slot 54 therein, as shown in Fig. 7. The clamp lever 53 is pivoted at one end on a pivot pin 55 and normally rests in a vertical down or inoperative position. At its pivoted end, the lever 53 is provided with a circular cam or wedge surface '56 which is eccentric with respect to the pivot center of the lever and which engages and wedges a shoe 51 tightly against the shaft ll upon up- Ward pivotal movement of the lever. The shoe 51 is held within the slot 54 between the shaft ll and the wedge surface 56 of the lever 53.

The forming pin 49 around which the glass tube l2 is bent preferably comprises a rod of material which will not corrode, such as stainless steel for instance. The pin 49 extends through the bore 6 in the stud and is supported therein. Because of the close leg spacing of the U-tubes to be formed in the particular case illustrated, the portion 58 of the pin 49' which projects forwardly of the stud 5 is oifset upwardly a slight amount (as shown in Fig. 5)

so as to clear the glass tube l2 in the holders 13 when the pin is moved forwardly to its bending position overlying the said tube. A counterweight arm 59, attached to the projecting rear end portion of the pin 49 and extending downwardly therefrom, maintains the pin in a fixed rotatlve position with its front end portion 58 offset upwardly at all times.

As shown in full lines in Fig. 5, thefo'rming pin 49 is normally held in a retracted or inoperative position, against the resistance of a compression coil spring 69 on the pin, by the engagement of a shoulder 6| on a latch 62 with a stop collar 63 on the pin. The latch 62 is pivoted at one end on a horizontal shaft 64 journaled in the upstanding rear leg 65 of a U-shaped bracket 66 fastened to the rear side of bracket 2, and the coil spring 69 is compressed between the said bracket leg 65 and the stop collar 63 on the pin 49. When the latch 62 is pivoted upwardly so as to disengage the shoulder 6| from infront of the stop collar 63, the expansive force of the coil spring 60 then advances the forming pin 49 to its forward or operative position with the stop collar 63 thereon in abutting engagement with a stop bushing 61 threaded into bracket 2, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5.

The upward pivotal movement of the latch 62 to release the forming pin 49 is effected by suitable release means 68 comprising a rearwardly inclined trip lever 69 (Fig. 6) pivoted at its lower vend on the bracket 66 with its swinging or free upper end underlying and engageable with the underside of the latch 62. The trip lever 69 is normally held in a lowered pivotal position with the latch 62 resting thereon, as shown in full lines in Fig. 6, by the engagement of a stop pin- 19 on the lever with the upper side of the bracket 66. In such lowered position of the trip lever 69, the latch 62 is free to be set in pin-locking position with its shoulder 6| engaging the stop collar 63 on the pin 49. The trip lever 69 is pivoted upwardly from its normal lowered position, to thereby lift the latch 62 and thus release the forming pin '49, by means of an operating arm H fixedly secured on the shaft 64 and extending more or less forwardly therefrom. As shown in solid lines in Fig. 6, the operating arm H is normally held in an elevated pivotal position overlying a pin or stud 12 extending laterally from the trip lever 69 and with which the arm H is adapted to engage to lift the trip lever. During the operation of the apparatus the arm H is first swung downwardly past the pin 12 on trip lever 69 to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, the arm H being provided for such purpose with a pivotal pin-engaging spring catch 13 at its free end which pivots upwardly, upon striking the trip lever pin 12 during the downward swinging movement of arm 1 I so as to ride freely down over the said pin. 0n the subsequent return or upwardly swinging movement of the operating arm II, the pivotal spring catch 13 positively engages the pin 12 on trip lever 69, thus pivoting the said lever upwardly so as to cause it to lift the latch 62 and thus release the forming pin 49.

The swinging movement of the operating arm (I is conveniently effected by foot-operated mechanism M which rotates the shaft 64 on .which the arm H is mounted. The said footoperated mechanism 14 comprises a foot pedal 15 (Fig. 4) the swinging end of which is pivotally connected to a vertical push rod 16 which extends upwardly through an aperture H in the table 54 and is guided adjacent its upper end in a bearing 18 on an upstanding bracket 79 secured to the rear side of the base 3. The upper end of the push rod 15 underlies and engages a lever 80 extending more or less horizontally forward from and fixedly secured on the horizontal shaft 64 which, in addition to being journaled at one end in the leg 65 of bracket 66, is also journaled at its other end in a horizontal arm 8| extending rearwardly from the upper end of bracket 19. A tension coil spring 82, connected between the foot pedal '15 and the table 4, normally holds the foot pedal in its up position, thus also holding the operating arm H in its normal elevated position overlying the pin 12 on trip lever 69.

In addition to controlling the operation of the pin-releasing means 68, the foot pedal mecha nism 14 also operates a gas fire control device 83 (Fig. 4) for opening and closing the main gas and air supply lines 84, 85 for the gas burner 21. As shown in Fig. 3, the said burner is supplied at all times with low pressure gas and air combustion admixture through a bypass line 86 to thereby provide a pilot flame which serves to start the main or heating fire 26 each time the main lines 84, 85 are opened. If desired, the pilot flame may be supplied by a separate burner located adjacent the heating burner 21. The gas fire control device 83 preferably comprises a more or less horizontally extending pinch clamp lever 81 which is pivotally mounted on the bracket 19 and is pivotally connected at its back end, by a vertically extending connectin rod 88, to an arm 89 secured to the shaft 64 and extending horizontally forward therefrom. The gas and air supply lines 84, 85, which are made of rubber tubing, extend transversely of the lever 81 and are supported on a holder bracket 90 in a position immediately underlying the forwardly extending portion of the said lever so that the rubber tubes 84, 85 will be pinched or squeezed shut between the lever 31 and the bracket 90 when the foot pedal 15 is in its up or released position. The holder bracket 90 for the rubber tubes 84, 85 is fastened to the upstandin bracket 19.

In the operation of the apparatus, the opera tor, after having set the forming pin 49 in its retracted or back position and inserted a glass tube l2 in the aligned holders [3, then depresses the foot pedal 15 so as to start the heating fires 26 from the burner 21 and also swing the operating arm H to its lowered pivotal position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. Simultaneously, the operator grasps the handle 33 on gear 29' and moves it up and down through a small arc to thereby oscillate the glass tube l2 and cause it to be heated uniformly therearound bythe heating fires 26. When the glass has become softened, the operator pivots the hand lever 38 to its limiting'position against the stop pin 48 (as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3') to thereby move the holders l3 toward each other and thus collect or upset the softened glass at the point of the proposed bend. During the softening period, air or some other gaseous medium is introduced into the glass tube l2 through the rubber tube 35 to prevent collapsing of the softened portion of the glass tube. When the glass has been thus softened and upset, the operators foot is removed from the foot pedal 15 to cause the forming pin 49 to be released and moved to its forward or bending position and to also turn off the heating fires 26 from the gas burner 21' At the same time, the operator returns the holders 13 to their original rotative position, as determined by the engagement of a stop lug 9| on the gear 25 with the adjacent end plate 32. Immediately thereafter, the hand levers 53 of the clamp means 52 are grasped and first pivoted upwardly to clamp the holders 13 against any further rota tive and longitudinal movement and then lifted to swing the swivel arms I upwardly against the stop pin 50 so as to effect the bending of the glass tube 1'2.-

The forming pin 49 serves to round out the glass at the inner side of the bend. The pin 49 thus prevents the formation of an overly sharp bend in the glass at the inner side of the bend. Such a sharp bend would cause the glass to buckle or corrugate at the inner side of the bend due to the excessive compression of the plastic glass at such region. The forming pin 49 eliminates this condition by shaping the glass into a bend of larger radius than it otherwise would have if the forming pin were not present.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a modification of the invention wherein the holders [3, instead of being oscillated by hand, are rotated in one direction during the heating period by automatic means 92 which, in the particular case illus-' trated, comprises an electric motor 93 mounted on the table 4 and provided with a conventional type magnetic brake 94 for instantaneously stopping rotation of the motor shaft 95 when the motor circuit is interrupted. The motor shaft 95 drives the holder drive shaft 30 through a speed re ducer 96 of a type Providing a high ratio of speed reduction, for instance fifty to one or thereabouts, so as to rotate the driveshait 30 at a relatively low speed. Mounted on the drive shaft 30 is a cylindrical cam 91 on the surface 98 of which rides the push button 99 of a multipole double-throw switch I00. The said switch m0 is connected to control the operation of both the motor 93 and the magnetic brake 94. The cylindrical cam 91 is provided at one end with a notch or slot I 0 l' in its periphery for receiving the push button 99 of the switch. The switch I00 is movable lengthwise of the cam 91 (i. e., lengthwise of shaft 30) to cause the push button 99 to ride either on the unnotched or notched portions of the cam surface 98, the switch for that purpose being mounted on a lever I02 pivotally mounted on the table 4. When th lever I02 is pivoted to a position (shown in full lines in Fig. 9) where the switch push button 99 rides on the unnotched end portion of the cam surface 98, the switch I00 closes the motor operating circuit to thereby start operation of the motor 93 which then rotates the holders l3 continuously. When it is desired "to stop the rotation of the holders I3, the lever "12 is pivoted to the position (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9) where the switch push button 99 rides on the notched end portion of the cam surface '98. Then, when notch l0l of the rotating cam 91 comes opposite the switch push button 99, the latter will snap into the notch, thus opening the motor circuit and simultaneously opening the solenoid circuit of the magnetic brake 94 so as to cause the said brake to set and quickly stop rotation of the motor shaft 95. The cam notch IN is located at the proper position rotatively about the shaft 30 to stop the rotation of the holders I3 in their proper rotative position for the ensuing tube-bending operation. The magnetic brake 94 operates directly on the high speed shaft of the motor 93, and because of the high ratio gear reduction of the speed reducer 96, the stopping position of the machine will be sufficiently accurate inalli cases to permit proper operation of the swivel arms I to bend the glass tube.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Glass tube bending apparatus comprising a support member, a pair of swivel arms each piv- O a y mounted at one end on said support member to pivot about a common axis, said arms normally extending oppositely away from each other and having holders for gripping a glass tube and supporting it in a position extending alongside the arms and offset from their pivot axis, said holders being rotatably mounted-on their respective support arms to rotate the glass tube about its axis, means for heating and softening a zone of the tube adjacent the pivot axis of said arms, and means cooperable withsaid holders to rotate them in unison, said arms being arranged to be swung about their pivot axis in a direction opposite to that in which the tube is offset from the said pivot axis to' thereby bend thev tube. a

'2. Glass tube bending apparatus comprising a support member, a pair of spaced aligned holders mounted on said support member for gripping and supporting a glass tube in axial alignment therewith, at least one of said holders being pivotable on said support member about an axis extending transversely of and offset to one side of the glass tube in the holders and located be tween the said holders, and means for heating and softening a zone of the tube adjacent the pivot axis of the said one holder, said holders being arranged for relative axial movement towards one another to upset the softened glass portion of the tube and the said one holder being arranged to be swung about its pivot axis in a direction the'same as that in which the said pivot axis is offset from the glass tube to thereby bend the said tube.

3. Glass tube bending apparatus comprising a support member, a pair of spaced aligned holders mounted on said support member for gripping and supporting a glass tube in axial alignment therewith, at least one of said holders being pivotable on said support member about an axis extending transversely of and offset to one side of the glass tube in the holders and located between the said holders, means for heating and softening a zone of the tube adjacent the pivot axis of the said one holder, said holders being arranged for relative axial movement towards one another to upset the softened glass portion of the tube, and a forming pin arranged to be positioned across the tube on the same side thereof as the said pivot axis, the said :one holder being arranged to be swung about its pivot axis in a direction to bend the tube around the said pin.

4. Glass tube bending apparatus comprising a support member, a pair of spaced aligned holders rotatably mounted on said support member to rotate about their aligned axes and arranged to grip and support a glass tube in axial alignment therewith, at least one of said holders being pivotable on said support member about an axis extending transversely of and offset to one side of the glass tube in the holders'and located between the said holders, means for heating and softening a zone of the tube adjacent the pivot axis of the said one holder, and means cooperable with said holders when aligned to rotate them in unison about their aligned axes, said holders being arranged for relative axial movement towards one another to thereby upset the softened glass portion of the tube and the said one holder'being arranged to be swung about its pivot axis in a direction the same as that in which the said pivot axis 10 is ofisetfrom the glass tube to thereby bend the said tube.

5. Glass tube bending apparatus comprising a support member, a pair of spaced aligned holders rotatably mounted on said support member to rotate about their aligned axes and arranged to grip and support a glass tube in axial alignment therewith, at least :one of said holders being pivotable on said support member about an axis extending transversely of and offset to one side of the glass tube in the holders and located between the said holders, means for heating and softening a zone of the tube adjacent the pivot axis of the said one holder, means cooperable with said holders when aligned to rotate them in unison about their aligned axes, said holders being arranged for relative axial movement towards one another'to thereby upset the softened lass portion of the tube, and a forming pin arranged to be positioned across the tube on the same side thereof as the said pivot axis, the said one holder being arranged to be swung about its pivot axis in a direction to bend'the tube around the said pin.

6. Glass tube bending apparatus comprising a support member, a pair of swivel arms each pivotally mounted at one end on said support member to pivot about a common axis, said arms normally extending oppositely away from each other and having holders for gripping a glass tube and supporting it in a position extending alongside the arms and offset from their pivot axis, and means for heating and softening a zone of the tube adjacent the pivot axis :of said arms, said holdersbeing arranged for relative movement to wards one another to upset the softened glass porr tion of the tube and said arms being arranged to be swung about their pivot axis in a direction opposite to that in which the tube is ofiset from the said pivot axis to thereby bend the said tube.

'7. Glass tube bending apparatus comprising a support member, a pair of swivel arms each pivotally mounted at one end on said support member to pivot about a common axis, said 'arms normally extending oppositely away from each other and having holders for gripping a glass tube and supporting it in a position extending alongside the arms and ofiset from their pivot axis, said holders being rotatably mounted on their respective support arms to rotate the glass tube about its axis, means for heating and softening a zone of the tube adjacent the pivot axis of said arms, and means cooperable with said holders to rotate them in unison, said holders being arranged for relative movement towards one another to upset the softened, glass portion of the tube and the said arms being arranged to be swung about their pivot axis in a direction opposite to that in which the tube is 'oifset from the said pivot axis to thereby bend the tube.

8. Glass tube bending apparatus comprising a support member, a pair of swivel arms each pivotally mounted atone end on said support member to pivot about a common axis, said arms normally extending oppositely away from each other and having holders for gripping a glass tube and supporting it in a position extending alongside the arms and offset from their pivot axis, means for heating and softening a zone of the tube adjacent the pivot axis of said arms, said holders being arranged for relative axial movement towards one another to upset the softened glass portion of the tube, and a forming pin arranged to be positioned across the tube on the same side thereof as the pivot axis of the arms, said arms being arranged to be swung about their 11 pivot axis in a direction to bend the tube around the said pin.

9. Glass tube bending apparatus comprising a support member, a pair of swivel arms each pivotally mounted at one end on said support member to pivot about a, common axis, said arms normally extending oppositely away from each other and having holders for gripping a glass tube and supporting it in a position extending alongside the arms and offset from their pivot axis, said holders being movable longitudinally of their respective support arms, means for heating and softening a zone of the tube adjacent the pivot axis of said arms, means oooperable with said holders to move them towards one another to thereby upset the softened glass portion of the tube, and a forming pin extending transversely of the plane of pivotal movement Of said arms and mo a le g u inally from. a nonnally retracted position removed from the glass tube sup- Ported on said arms to an advanced operative position contiguous to and extending across the tube on the same side thereof as the pivot axis of the arms, said arms being arranged to. be swung about theirpivot axis in a direction to bend the tube around the said pin.

10. Glass tube bending apparatus comprising a support member, a pair of swivel arms each pivotally mounted at one end on said support member to pivot about a common axis, said arms normally extending oppositely away from each other and having holders for gripping a glass tube and supporting it in a position extending alongside the arms and onset from their pivot axis, said holders being movable longitudinally of their respective support arms, means for heating and softening a zone of the tube adjacent the pivot axis of said arms, means cooperable with said holders to move them towards one another to thereby upset the softened glass portion of the tube, a forming pin extending transversely of the plane of pivotal movement of said arms and normally located in a retracted position removed from the glass tube supported on said arms, and pin actuating means co-acting with the said forming pin to move it longitudinally from its said retracted position to an advanced operative position contiguous to and extending across the tube on the same side thereof as the 12 pivot axis of the arms, said arms being arranged to be swung about their pivot axis in a direction to bend the tube around the said in.

11. Glass tube bending apparatus comprising a support member, a pair of swivel arms each pivotally mounted at one end on said support member to pivot about a common axis, said arms normally extending oppositely away from each other and having holders for gripping a glass tube and supporting it in a position extending alongside the arms and ofiset from their pivot axis, said holders being movable longitudinally of their respective support arms and rotatably mounted thereon to rotate the glass tube about its axis, means for heating and softening a zone of the tube adjacent the pivot axis of said arms, means cooperable with said holders to rotate them in unison, other means also cooperable with said holders to move them towards one another,

while permitting rotation thereof, to thereby upset the softened glass portion of the tube, and a forming pin arranged to be positioned across the tube on the same side thereof as the pivot axis of the arms, said arms being arranged to be swung about their pivot axis in a direction to bend the tube around the said pin.

12. Glass tube bending apparatus comprising a support member, a pair of spaced aligned holders mounted on said support member and arranged to grip and hold a. glass tube in axial alignment therewith, at least one of said holders being pivotable on said support member about an axis extending transversely of and offset to one side oi the glass tube in the holders and located between the said holders, heating means ar. ranged to heat and soften a zone of the tube adjacent the pivot axis of the said one holder, a forming pin normally located in a position removed from the glass tube in said holders, and control means for simultaneously rendering the heating means inoperative and moving the said pin to a position contiguous to and extending across the tube on the same side thereof as the pivot axis of the said one holder, the said one holder being arranged to be swung about its pivot axis in a direction t bend the tube around the said pin.

EDWARD B. NOEL. 

